Samuel h



(No Model.)

S. H. WALZ.

HAND CARBOR RAILWAYS.

myzsm o; Patented 13:30.19; 1882.

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.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. WALZ, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE THREE RIVERS VELOCIPEDE CAR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HAND-CAR FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,490, dated December 19, 188... Application filed February 17, 1882. (No modelll To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. \VALZ, of Three Rivers, in the county of-St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hand-Cars for Railways, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the railway- IO velocipede. Fig. 2 is a top view of same.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the outer wheel, showing adjustable shaft-connections. Fig. 4 is a perspective elevation of one oftherear springs, showing manner of adjusting the rear wheel 1 at the proper angle to the rail.

The object of my invention isto provide a railway-velocipede; and itconsists, first, in improving the structure of the wheels, whereby they may be secured adj ustabl y to revolving shafts; second, a truss tubular frame for velocipedes of this class; third, providing that wheel-shaft which spans the rails of two tubular parts, one operating within the other, so as to adapt the velocipede for any gage of track; fourth, the arrangement of the levers and seat motions, whereby the weight of the operator as well as his strength is utilized for propelling the device; fifth, the employment of sprocket-wheels and chain and device for 0 producing tensions in the chain; and, sixth,

device for adjusting rear wheel to any desired angle with the track.

1n the accompanying drawings, A represents the lower and B the upper bar of a trussed frame, united at the rear by a solid V-shaped U-rod, A, the limbs of which project into the tubular bars of which the frame is composed.

The forward ends of the bars are united to a sleeve, B. The upper bar, B, is arched cen- 0 trally, and two or more tie-rods, C C, unite the bars, as shown. A pair of trusses thus made are placed side by side, a suitable distance from each other, and the diagonal or right-- angled braces D D on the forward and rear 4 5 ends hold the trusses in proper position.

At the forward end the sleeves B are placed on a solid steel shaft, E, one of the wheels, F, being secured rigidly on the shaft at a point midway between the sleeves B. The solid shaft E projects a short distance beyond the 0 inner sleeve, and a tubular shaft is placed on this shaft, as shown, so as to extend over or in the direction of the opposite wheel.

The wheel H, Fig. 3, designed for the opposite rail, is secured to a smaller tubular shaft, F, of proper size to fit into the tubular shaft E, and set-screws H H, through shaft E, operating against the shafts EF, serve to hold the wheels the proper distance from each other, thus making the velocipede capable of use on any gage track. The rear shaft or axle,

C, is journaled in springs h, secured to the lower bar, A, of the truss. The rear end ofthe spring h has a slot, t, which receives the journal ofthe shaft C. The outer end of the shaft 6: C is also journaled to the rear eudof an arm, j, whose rear end has a slot, 7r, similar to the slot i in the spring. This slot receives a bolt, 1, which enters the spring 71, so as to hold the shaft C at any desired point.

' At the forward end ofthe frame, and pivoted thereto by the transverse shaft 1, are two vertically-disposed vibrating levers, J, united at the upper ends by a round, J, by means of which the operator grasps the levers. The lower ends of these levers are united by a cross-beam, upon which the operator places his feet. This lever l is pivoted to the frame at '1. It will'be observed that this point is above the point N, at which the seat M is hinged to the lever.

Instead of the foot-beam K, or in connection therewith, are adjustable arms L, secured to the levers J and having a cross connecting rod or bar, L, may be employed, thus enabling operators to raise or lower the foot-bar to suit the height.

The seat M has two arms projecting downward and outward from the forward end, which are hinged to the vibrating levers JatN. The rear end of the seat rests on and is hinged to the arched brace 0, and the lower end of this brace projects forward and is pivoted to the frame at O. The braceOis thus inclined rearwardly,for the purpose which will hereinafter 5 be more fully explained.

P is an adjustable journal-bearing, secured to the lower bar of the frame near the rear end, which receives the transverse shaft Q. This shaft has centrally a crank, R, and by the side of the crank alarger sprocket-wheel, S. ()n the forward shaft, E, on a line with the sprocket-wheel S, is a smaller sprocketwheel, S,towhichmotionistransmittedthrough chain T. A pitman-ro'd, V, secured at itsrear end to the crank R, has its forward end forked, and is hinged to the vertical vibrating levers J at V.

The operation of the car-wheel will be readily understood. In the position shown in Fig.

' 1, the operator, to propel the car forward, must first draw the upper ends of the levers J rearwardly. At the same time his feet tend to push the lower ends of the levers forwardly, the seat meanwhile being of no service as a propelling-power; but when the crank has reached its farthest forward point and the upper end of the vibrating lever is pushed forward, the feet relax their exertions, and the weight of the operator on the seat compensates for the temporary loss of foot-power. 'lhus the rearwardly-inclined braceO aids in giving a backward motion to the lower ends of the lever J. It will further he observed that this manner of hinging the seat prevents the operator from being elevated or lowered to any great distance in manipulating the machine, which is an element of considerable importance in vehicles of this class. The movable 'ournal-bearin 1 enables the user to ad'ust H J the sprocket-wheel shaft rearwardly to take up wear, or to move the wheel forward in the event a chain is to be applied or removed.

By the arrangement of the journal bearing for the rear shaft as shown in Fig. 4 the shaft 0" may be thrown at any reasonable-angle to the railway-track desired, so as to keep the rear wheel properly on the track or to prevent crowding of the wheel.

. l do not confine myself to this form of adjusting the shaft, since it is obvious numerous mechanical devices, equally as efficient, maybe devised to accomplish the same purpose. By

means of the adjustable arrangement of this shaft the velocipede could be reversed and operated by having the single wheel in front, since the shaft could be so adjusted as to crowd the wheel-flange against the rail.

I prefer to have the entire truss-frame tubular; but it is obvious that it may be made of solid iron bars or of wood suitably trussed and united at the ends.

Having described my invention, what Iclaim 1. In velocipedes for railways, the frame composed of tubing A B, trussed as shown. united at thcforward end to a sleeve, B, and at the rear end by means of a curved bar, A, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2.'In veloeipedes for railways, the tubular trussed frame having at the rear end a spring,

h, provided with a horizontal slot, 2', to receive the journal of the rear shaft, in combination with a slotted arm, j, by means of which the angle of the shaft 0 may be adjusted and secured, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In velocipedes for railways, the forward axle composed of two tubular parts, one operating with the other. the wheels on the opposing trucks being rigidly secured to the tubular shafts, as herein shown, so that the wheels and axle revolve together, substantially as herein set forth.

4. In velocipedes for railways, having three wheels, the combination of the forward wheels revolving on the same shaft, in combination with the rear single wheel secured to an adjustable shaft, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In a hand-car or like device for railways, a seat supported at the rear to the frame by rods, on which said seat can have free movement, and also at the front movably attached to and supported by the driving-lever at a point below that at which said lever is pivoted to the frame, substantially as described.

6. In a railway hand-car or like device, a movable seat sustained at its rear part by rods connecting directly to the frame, and at its front by the driving-lever, substantially as set forth. 4

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, this 2d day of February, 1882, in the presence of witnesses.

, SAMUEL H. IVALZ.

Witnesses:

S. E. BoYER, Nnw'r iv H. BARNARD. 

